I know President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama celebrated Diwali and Laxmi Puja last year as part of the Hindu festival at the White House. This year when PM Modi would visit the White House in Sept, a major Indian festival called Durga Puja will be celebrated in India on 30th Sept. 2014. I hope both the President and first lady would like to celebrate it this year.
Durga puja celebration is about cultivating the wisdom of dominance of goodness on earth and also establishing freedom from sorrow, poverty and ill-motives. I hope eventually most American people irrespective of race or religion would find equal excitement to embrace the festival of Durga Puja to bring hope, happiness and peace for everyone.
Acharya Surajit Sengupta (Hindu Guru of the 21st century)